Card storage and feed device



July 26, 1966 A. VAN DER WIJNGAART ETAL 3,262,698

. CARD STORAGE AND FEED DEVICE Filed June 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 10 (ag ,5 I 1. 2 a \9 8 A /7" 7/// //////////////%/WA FIG.1

FIG.2

INVENTOR.

BERNARDUS A.C.VAN DER WIJNGAART ALBERTUS A.J.VAN DOOREMOLEN J l 2 19 B.A.-C. VAN DER WlJNGAART-ETAL 3 2 2 9 CARD STORAGE AND FEED DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Flied June 5, 1964 FIG.3

INVENTOR. BERNARUJS A.C.VAN DER \v/IJNGAART ALBERTUS A..I. VANDOOREMOLEN BY AGENT United States Patent 5 Claims. (Cl. 271-44 Theinvention relates to storage devices for stacked sheets or cards, forexample perforated cards, the store being open on the bottom side,beneath which a reciprocating sliding member is arranged for feeding thesheets or cards individually out of the store.

In a known device of the kind set forth the sliding member or shuttle isformed by a plate-shaped element adapted to move along guides. On itsside facing the store this element is provided with a stop, the maximumheight of which is equal to the thickness of one card. With eachmovement of the sliding member or shuttle this stop feeds one card orsheet fromthe store. On the other side the element is connected to .adriving member, which may be formed by a crank-driving rod mechanism. Itis also known to provide the element on its side remote from the storewith a toothed rack co-opera-ting with a reciprocating sprocket segment.

The known devices described above require a great number of guides andpoints of rotation, all of which necessitate clearance spaces due totolerances and wear. It will be obvious that these clearances involveinaccuracy in the individual removal of cards and sheets, which alwayshave a very small thickness. If this inaccuracy is too great, thesatisfactory operation of the device can be completely disturbed. Saidclearance is furthermore a source of noise, which is particularlydisadvantageous in devices operating with great speed, for example ofthe order of 120,000 cards an hour.

The invention has for its object .to obviate the aforesaid disadvantagesand is characterized in that by means of one or more resilient elementsthe sliding member is fastened to a stationary part of the device. Byusing this construction an extremely smoothly and noiselessly operatingdevice is obtained.

The sliding member supported in accordance with the invention may bedriven by a crank-driving-rod mechanism or a sprocket-toothed rackstructure.

However, a considerably more reliable and noiseless device is obtainedin a further embodiment of the invention in which the sliding member isprovided with at least one guide element which is governed by acontrol-memher. The control-member may be formed by a grooved drum, acam disc, a cup-shaped disc and so on.

A further advantageous device embodying the invention is characterizedin that the sliding member is provided with at least two guide membersbetween which an eccentric disc is adapted to rotate.

The spring elements supporting the sliding member may be formed by arubber block or bamboo sticks. In a further advantageous deviceembodying the invention the spring elements are formed by leaf springswhich are resilient in substantially the same direction, so that theyare rigid in the other direction.

The device according to the invention is extremely suitable for use in adevice for feeding perforated cards, such as a card sorting machine andthe like.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to thedrawing.

FIGS. 1 .and 2 show diagrammatically a store for feeding perforatedcards with a sliding member constructed ICC according to the inventionarranged beneath it in sectional views taken along the lines II andIIII, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the two sliding members.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 1 designates a store whichis open on the bottom side. The store 1 is bounded by a card slide plate2, which is connected with the frame 3 of the device. Between the store1 and theframe 3 an opening 4 is left for passing only one card at atime. The device comprises furthermore two shuttles or sliding members5, which are provided on their upper side with an upright 6. The slidingmembers 5 are each connected by two leaf springs 7 to the base of thedevice. On the bottom side each of the sliding members 5 is providedwith two guide members 8, between which an eccentric disc 9 is arranged.These eccentric discs are driven via a common shaft 10. The shaft 10 maybe driven in known manner, for example by an electric motor (not shown).

The device operates as follows. Due to the rotation of the eccentricdisc 9 the sliding members 5 are reciprocated. During the stroke to theleft the rim 6 carries along only one card, which is inserted throughthe opening 4 between the rotating rollers 10, by which they aretransported further out of the store. The card, thus conducted away isthen worked in a card-handling device (not shown).

By utilizing a continuously rotating eccentric disc the mass ofreciprocating parts, which must be braked and accelerated at eachinversion of the movement, is considerably smaller than in the knowndevices. This fact alone considerably reduces wear and clearance whilstthe noise is also considerably mitigated. A further advantage of thestructure according to the invention is that the sliding member does notreciprocate along guide members, but is arranged on leaf springs, whichallow a noiseless reciprocating movement.

What is claimed is:

1. A card storage and feed device comprising, a card hopper having frontand rear openings at the bottom for retaining cards in a flat stackedrelationship, a card shuttle means including a resilient mountpositioned below said card hopper such that as the shuttle reciprocatesbetween the back and front of the hopper by means of the resilient mountit engages the lowermost card in the stack through the rear opening anddischarges the card through the front opening as it moves forward, andmeans for cyclically driving said shuttle'and resilient mount from backto front and vice versa. I

2. A card storage and feed device as set forth in claim 1 in which saidshuttle is provided with a guide means which is engaged by the means forcyclically driving the shuttle.

3. A card storage and feed device as set forth in claim 1 in which saidshuttle is provided with a pair of spaced guides and the means forcyclically driving the shuttle includes a disc positioned between theguides and adapted for rotation about an off center axis.

4. A card storage and feed device comprising, a base, a card hopperhaving front and rear openings at the bottom for retaining cards in aflat stacked relationship, means for supporting said hopper above saidbase, a pair of spaced elongated flat parallel springs mounted on saidbase and extending longitudinally upwards toward the bottom of said cardhopper and free to move in the front to back direction, a card shuttlemounted on the free ends of the flat springs in close proximity to thehopper and arranged to engage the lowermost card only as it is movedfrom the back to the front of the hopper and discharge the engaged cardinto the front opening, means for 3 4 cyclically driving said shut-ttleand fiat springs from the References Cited by the Examiner back to frontandvice versa and eonveyor means located UNITED STATES PATENTS proxlmatesaid front opening for removing cards dlscharged thereinto by theshuttle as it moves from the back 2,849,234 8/1953 Rowlands et 27144 tothe front. 5 2,938,722 5/1960 Luning 271-44 5. A card storage and feeddevice as set forth in claim 3,020,044 2/1962 Hillen et a1 27144 4 inWhich said shuttle is provided With a pair of spaced 7 v guides and themeans for cyclically driving the shuttle in- M. HENSON WOOD, JR.,Primary Examiner. cludes a disc positioned :between the guides andadapted r for rotation about an off center axis. 10 SPADERNA AssistantExammer

1. A CARD STORAGE AND FEED DEVICE COMPRISING, A CARD HOPPER HAVING FRONTAND REAR OPENINGS AT THE BOTTOM FOR RETAINING CARDS IN A FLAT STACKEDRELATIONSHIP, A CARD SHUTTLE MEANS INCLUDING A RESILIENT MOUNTPOSITIONED BELOW SAID CARD HOPPER SUCH THAT AS THE SHUTTLE RECIPROCATESBETWEEN THE BACK AND FRONT OF THE HOPPER BY MEANS OF THE RESILIENT MOUNTIT ENGAGES THE LOWERMOST CARD IN THE STACK THROUGH THE REAR OPENING ANDDISCHARGES THE CARD THROUGH THE FRONT OPENING AS IT MOVES FORWARD, ANDMEANS FOR CYCLICALLY DRIVING SAID SHUTTLE AND RESILIENT MOUNT FROM BACKTO FRONT AND VICE VERSA.